One brave young girl has been battling leukemia for about 20 months, but is finally nearing the end of her treatment. In January 2017, Amy Spencer was first diagnosed with the condition, found in her bone marrow. She was only five years old at the time and her family had moved to Morans Crossing, which is near Bemboka, only about a month earlier. In order to receive treatment she had to return to Shellharbour for 10 months. Her parents Karyn Souter and Jeff Spencer said before the diagnosis of acute lymphoblastic leukemia the only real symptom Amy had was a high temperature. “We never thought a high temperature would turn into two years of chemo,” Ms Souter said. Along with being poked with a needle 160 times since she started treatment, Amy has also had 60 chemotherapy infusions, 44 nights in hospital, 58 days in isolation and 13 blood transfusions. She had to take a whole year off school for the intensive stage of her treatment, which was when her hair fell out. But in support of her daughter, Ms Souter shaved her head too. “At the start when we told her she was going to lose her hair we said it wasn’t going to be a big deal, so when it came time to lose it she put it back on me and said it wasn’t a big deal for me either!” Ms Souter said. Read more: The now seven-year-old is attending school in Bega and will finish her treatment in January. Although, she will need check ups over the following five years to confirm she is cured and there is a 20 per cent chance she will relapse before the end of this period. “We were very lucky with the way she went through it, as brutal as it was she handled it very well,” Mr Spencer said. At her hospital in Sydney, when children reach the last day of their treatment they are allowed to ring a special bell to mark the milestone. It is something Amy was looking forward to. “It will be exciting, but it will be really noisy!” Amy said. September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month and Amy’s parents encouraged the community to donate towards research into cancer through the Kids’ Cancer Project by clicking here.

Brave Amy Spencer's battle with leukemia

BRIGHT FUTURE: Amy Spencer (centre) of Morans Crossing is now all smiles with her family; her parents Karyn Souter and Jeff Spencer and sisters Tiah and Ella.

One brave young girl has been battling leukemia for about 20 months, but is finally nearing the end of her treatment.

In January 2017, Amy Spencer was first diagnosed with the condition, found in her bone marrow.

She was only five years old at the time and her family had moved to Morans Crossing, which is near Bemboka, only about a month earlier.

In order to receive treatment she had to return to Shellharbour for 10 months.

Her parents Karyn Souter and Jeff Spencer said before the diagnosis of acute lymphoblastic leukemia the only real symptom Amy had was a high temperature.

“We never thought a high temperature would turn into two years of chemo,” Ms Souter said.

Amy, pictured after she started her treatment for leukemia.

Along with being poked with a needle 160 times since she started treatment, Amy has also had 60 chemotherapy infusions, 44 nights in hospital, 58 days in isolation and 13 blood transfusions.

She had to take a whole year off school for the intensive stage of her treatment, which was when her hair fell out. But in support of her daughter, Ms Souter shaved her head too.

“At the start when we told her she was going to lose her hair we said it wasn’t going to be a big deal, so when it came time to lose it she put it back on me and said it wasn’t a big deal for me either!” Ms Souter said.

The now seven-year-old is attending school in Bega and will finish her treatment in January. Although, she will need check ups over the following five years to confirm she is cured and there is a 20 per cent chance she will relapse before the end of this period.

“We were very lucky with the way she went through it, as brutal as it was she handled it very well,” Mr Spencer said.

At her hospital in Sydney, when children reach the last day of their treatment they are allowed to ring a special bell to mark the milestone.

It is something Amy was looking forward to.

“It will be exciting, but it will be really noisy!” Amy said.

September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month and Amy’s parents encouraged the community to donate towards research into cancer through the Kids’ Cancer Project by clicking here.